Last week, the Internal Revenue Service released interim guidance (SBSE-04-0515-0025) on foreign bank account report (FBAR) penalties to improve the administration of the FBAR compliance program. The guidance contains amendments to the Internal Revenue Manual (IRM), effective immediately, and applies to
Last week, the Internal Revenue Service released interim guidance (SBSE-04-0515-0025) on foreign bank account report (FBAR) (also known as FinCen 114) penalties to improve the administration of the FBAR compliance program. The guidance contains amendments to the Internal Revenue Manual (IRM),
There are many U.S. tax consequences to a foreign trust and a beneficiary of a foreign trust who is or becomes a U.S. citizen or resident alien. In this article it is assumed that the grantor is and always will be
The “United States Permanent Resident Card”, also known as a Green Card, as a work and residence permit for the USA of unlimited duration and as an immigration visa, constitutes an admission ticket to the USA. However, possession of a
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service is planning to broaden the use of subpoenas of documents in cases where the name of a taxpayer under investigation is not known. The so-called John Doe summonses were a breakthrough for the IRS in
Raju Mukhi of St. Louis MO was indicted last year for his alleged failure to file a report to the IRS on his foreign financial accounts and for filing false tax returns. United States citizens are required to report income
For the first time, in the case of James Moore, Plaintiff v. United States of America, Defendant (James Moore v. U.S. Case 2:13-cv-02063-RAJ filed 4/1/15), we finally get a look at some non-willful FBAR penalty litigation. The US district court
In the midst of tough tax season, many U.S taxpayers are unfortunately surprised to discover that they have a U.S. tax reporting obligation on financial accounts or assets held overseas. Once they discover their tax and reporting obligation, there are
Last month US Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) introduced a budget amendment SA 621 to repeal the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) FATCA requires foreign financial institutions to disclose to the IRS about their U.S. customers’ accounts. The U.S. loses
The Department of Justice announced today that BSI SA, one of the 10 largest private banks in Switzerland, is the first bank to reach a resolution under the Department of Justice’s Swiss Bank Program. Swiss private bank BSI SA avoided prosecution
With the IRS aggressively targeting taxpayers with unreported offshore accounts, tax professionals must know benefits and pitfalls of offshore accounts. Our firm presented technical seminars titled Navigating Foreign Waters: The Complex Requirements of Foreign Accounts Compliance on US tax laws to tax professionals on foreign account disclosure,
George Landegger, CEO of pulp and paper company, pleaded guilty last week in New York to a federal charge of failing to file a required report to the IRS about the account. He admitted that he maintained the undeclared account
Last week a federal judge approved the IRS issuing “John Doe” summonses requiring FedEx, DHL, UPS, and numerous other intermediaries to produce information about U.S. taxpayers who used Sovereign Management & Legal Ltd. for offshore accounts and assets. They include
We just returned last week from attending the Criminal Fraud and Tax Controversy Conference in Las Vegas, sponsored by the American Bar Association Section of Taxation where many government officials were in attendance. Below are some interesting observations: On the
The Internal Revenue Service announced major changes in its offshore voluntary compliance programs, providing new streamlined filing compliance procedures to help both taxpayers residing overseas and those residing in the United States. The streamlined filing compliance procedures are game changers
The Internal Revenue Service’s collection efforts need to be improved to make sure that delinquent taxpayers residing in foreign countries comply with their U.S. tax obligations, according to a new government report. The report, from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax
The IRS has simplified the process of entering the OVDP Program by issuing the following forms: Form 14457 – Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Letter Form 14454 – Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program Letter Attachment The new forms (the old forms were simple Word documents)
What Is The Difference Between the SDOP and the Current OVDP program? The Streamlined Offshore Procedures (SDOP and SFOP) liberalizes the old restrictions and rewards taxpayers that disclose their offshore assets with a lower penalty and a very low tax.
Many clients are asking our office about the new compliance solutions to clean up past errors in disclosing foreign assets. In June 2014, the IRS announced major changes to its offshore voluntary compliance programs, providing new options to help taxpayers
US government fees charged to Americans for renouncing their citizenship will rocket from $450 to $2,350 on September 12, 2014. The fivefold increase is probably related to the recent dramatic rise in renunciations triggered by the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance
The IRS has published new IRS internal procedure guidance with IRM changes dated 8/13/14. The guidance is numbered WI-21-0814-1244 and titled “Streamline Filing Compliance Procedures for Accounts Management International IMF”. The guidance is here. The general legal rule is that IRM
Many of our clients are interested in the new Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures, which were recently announced by the IRS. Therefore, we are providing more general information on the Procedures. General Eligibility: The modified Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures are designed for only
The IRS announced substantial changes to both the Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures for Non-Resident, Non-Filer Taxpayers and the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) on June 18, 2014. Effective July 1, 2014, the IRS is making it easier for individuals to
The Internal Revenue Service announced last week changes to its programs for taxpayers with undeclared offshore accounts, the latest step in a five-year campaign against such accounts held by U.S. taxpayers. The modifications greatly eased penalties for people who were unaware
The IRS has announced a Streamlined Domestic Offshore Procedures (SDOP), which will significantly alter all future voluntary disclosures. The SDOP is a game changer for residents and non-resident (who would use the Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures (SFOP)) taxpayers alike. The
All taxpayers are reminded about FBAR reporting this year, as the process has changed. If you have a financial interest in or signature authority over a foreign financial account, including a bank account, brokerage account, mutual fund, trust, or other
The U.S. Department of Justice last Thursday issued a release stating that it extended for one month the deadline for so-called category two Swiss banks suspected of helping wealthy Americans evade taxes to turn over information by one month. We
While over 77,000 banks and financial institutions have registered under FATCA—the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, the Internal Revenue Service has introduced an online tool that will allow users to check on whether a foreign financial institution has registered for
Earlier this month on April 11, 2014, the Internal Revenue Service issued Notice IR-2014-52 reminding U.S. citizens and resident aliens, including those with dual citizenship who have lived or worked abroad during all or part of 2013, that they may have a
According to a DOJ Tax Press Release, here, the IRS has arrested a U.S. Citizen and two Canadian citizens who offered enabler services to U.S. taxpayers. They were caught in a classic IRS sting operation. Here is a summary of the